CHAPTER ELEVEN

”I asked you a simple question, what nonsense is she spewing… who the hell do you think you are to walk into my house and claim my man?” Diana fumes

Olive stands up

”Whose house ogini, my son’s house?” Mercy stands up too.

”No mama, please don’t answer her. Who am I? I am Olive Daniels, and I do not see why I should explain further who I am, you are rude and uncultured, I am a guest here, but here you are feeling all territorial over Odinaka and I just asked a simple question, because last I checked, you are not married to him neither are you wearing a ring if I was too blind to see… so again, who told you he is your man?”

”You dare to-” Diana reaches out to try and slap her but Emeka stops her hand

”Stop it Dee, that is no way to treat a guest”‘

”A guest? Who is refuting my claims over you, is she high, is she mad? And why the hell are you standing there saying nothing, shouldn’t you caution her, you and your mother are just standing there and you both obviously know the truth, why am I being the one cautioned?”

”You aren’t Dee, look I think we all got off on the wrong foot okay, let’s just relax..” he turns to Olive

”Sweetheart, please don’t be offended”‘

”Sweetheart?” Diana chokes

”Yes!. He is used to calling me with sweet endearments” Olive smiles

”Emeka, I do not understand, only yesterday you said you loved only me and want to marry me, today you bring an Egyptian seductress into your house and you are calling her sweetheart in front of your future wife?” She couldn’t believe her ears

”Hey Dee, it just a harmless endearment, okay you want to talk, let’s go and talk” he turns to Olive and his mother ”Mama can you keep her company for me for a bit, please?”

”Who is she’?” they hear Olive asking as they walk away, Mercy replies

”Some woman who is trying to force herself on my son, but I won’t let it happen… come, tell me about you, Emeka never mentioned you to me… how long have you known him… is my son nice to you?”

Olive blushes “He is a sweet man mama”‘

”Hmmm!”

They continued talking.

******

”Explain to me Emeka, what the hell is going on, are you screwing her, you bring your mistress to a home we are going to share, what the hell is that?”

Oh, it makes you boil? You haven’t seen nothing Diana

”No of course not!! I actually forgot that she was coming in today and I gave her my address weeks ago, don’t be like that Dee, I am not screwing her as you put it, she is a very special friend of mine”

”Okay you aren’t but you have before?”

He sighs “I haven’t asked you about your past relationships have I? I believe it’s your privacy… so you don’t expect me to answer that”‘

”Well, I don’t want her here, she looks like she came to steal you… you are my man, mine, I won’t let another woman come to try and take my place”

Who told you I am yours!! He smiles inwardly

”No woman is coming to do that. See, you are my fiancé’, future wife, you should be able to accommodate my friends and you have to accommodate her, treat her nice and all. How can you be hospitable and be a good wife when you suspect every female friends I have… Olive is a good person, she has no evil intention”‘

”Hmm, a woman who looks like that?”

”Are you jealous of her beauty?”

Diana would rather die than admit it ”No, she isn’t even beautiful, I mean she must have had work done on herself to get that perfect body and look, we know them… everything she has is fake”‘ she scoffs

Emeka laughs “You should never compare you to another, your beauty is enough for me, its what I love and I won’t trade you in for another, be nice to my guest and be nicer to mum, you both can’t keep at this”‘

”I am trying, I even got her this wrapper, she ignores it but takes a gift from a stranger?”

”Give her time!!”

She sighs, more like push her off the balcony ”I will try, by the way, I am sleeping in your room tonight and all the nights I will let here, better don’t let your mother have her way again”

”Okay ma, you are in charge na” he winks at her

She smiles, she likes the sound of that, she leans in wanting to kiss his lips, he turns away as he brings out his phone ”oh dear i just remembered, i should call the office” he says walking away leaving her staring after him.

*****

While Emeka goes out for a quick meeting, Diana tries not to stage war against Mercy who had been laughing and chatting since the lady named Olive arrived. while they ate at the table, they ignored her, then they both disappeared into Mercy’s room, she could hear their laughter all the way from downstairs..

She sighs turning the channels and unable to concentrate, it was 8pm… where the hell was Emeka, he has been gone for four hours, she was tired and sleepy and her bag was still on the floor, whereas Mama Tito had carried Olive’s bag and disappeared.

She hopes they had taken Olive’s bag out the mansion and to the guest house in the estate like they did hers; Mama Tito must have followed the backdoor since she didn’t pass through the front, she had been escorted out the back door to the guest house the other night, maybe Olive would be escorted through there too, she wouldn’t want that girl to sleep under the same roof with her.

She yawns fighting sleep, waiting for Emeka to come home as she stretches on the sofa, she turns to the TV as a Netflix sitcom comes on .

There was a woman , not so much older than Emeka standing next to him, she was smiling broadly..

”This is my wife, Belinda.” he tells him turning to her ”Belinda, this is Mr Odinaka Uchendu, the man God sent to help us from the sinking sand”

”Oh nice to meet you Mr. Odinaka, when my husband told me you were coming I had to go to the market to prepare something for dinner, you know before today we were thinking of selling the house because we couldn’t pay our bills and all… but with your help. We don’t need to sell it again, I am so happy…” Belinda says as Ambross nudges her to be quiet

“ohh am sorry, I thought you knew how bad our situation was, putting the house in the market and all “‘ she lowers her voice eyeing Ambross

‘No! I didn’t” he says honestly, oh they wanted to sell the house huh? Interesting

”Please come in and have a seat”

Ambross ushers him to the dinner set table as they talk, Belinda serves the food. while Ambross is talking, Emeka didn’t hear half of what he was saying, because he wasn’t listening.

He is looking around the house, it hasn’t changed much since he last stepped into it over ten years ago, aside lack of proper care and decaying of some wall paint, and some misplaced items scattered around the house in all area… the house looked the same. The walls were void of his pictures and that of his mother and occupied with Belinda’s and his. He doesn’t see a picture of a child, didn’t mean they didn’t have one.

No wedding picture either, still doesn’t mean they don’t have an album of it… At the center of the room facing the dining was a picture of a couple and a child posing for the camera with huge smiles on their faces.

He could close his eyes and see Jessica, running around the house calling him to come find her, he could see his mother at the ironing table pressing the Ibekwe’s cloths or in the kitchen making breakfast for them and the tenants, he could see his father walking through those doors and greeting the Ibekwes with respect and then frowns when his mother comes running to him with happiness on her face and he could see himself rushing to his father who stylishly pushes him away so he doesn’t hug him.

His father had always been a heartless man, who never loved his family.

Oh, he remembers the Ibekwe’s house so well… he remembered after they died and His father had taken control of the company, and this house was included in it… they had moved in… this mansion that once belonged to his friend Jessica and her parents, this same mansion that was their legacy and their name, Ambross had taken it and made it his own, just like the company and he gave up his family for the greed of wealth, women and a life of luxury.

Look at him now, his father years later, he couldn’t hold his own, no good woman to help him keep his home, no son to help him with the business, no wonder it went under until he helped him.. oh how would you feel father if I told you the son you casted away is the same son whose feet and hands you are sucking up to right now and who helped up with your failing company and who will buy this house of yours off your filthy hands..

How would you feel father if I tell you, I will be your downfall, as you were ours..?

”Sr Odinaka Sir?”

Emeka turns to the sound of Belinda’s voice ”Sorry?”

”I asked if you would want more rice or salad or chicken?”

He shakes his head ”No, it’s fine, you should seat down, you don’t need to exert yourself on my behalf, I am okay with this”‘

“See, I told you he is a gentleman too” Ambross tells his wife

”So, I actually want to say thank you for what you are doing for my husband, we are grateful””

”I am sure anyone would help out, you don’t have to thank me, it’s not for free ma’am, I will make my profits off my investments too”

Ambrose laughs ”Very business minded too” he nods to his wife as he eats

”So when my husband told me you were coming to visit, I was expecting an older man with grey temple and all, but you sir… are really too young to have achieved so much, how did you come to achieve this?”

Emeka looks at her, very inquisitive wife you got there Ambross, ”Belinda don’t bother the good sir with your scary questions”

”No I am not-” She says innocently

”She is not really, I get her, a lot of people ask me that every day, it’s not a problem”‘ Emeka leans back

”See, the good sir isn’t bothered Ambross” she says peeling out chicken and eating “so, what inspired you, how did you get here, what’s your story?”

”Well, it’s a long one actually but I will cut it short, I am who I am today because of my father, he inspired me a lot ”

”Oh, he must be a very nice man”‘

Emeka laughs “Nice is not a word I would use in describing him,” he takes his glass of wine and sips it

”Oh wow!! He must be something, tell us about him” Belinda says attentively, Ambross continuous eating and listening as they talk

Emeka stares at his father, gladly “He was the devil”

Ambross chokes on his food, Belinda gasps, Emeka smiles.

*****

”So quick question , what do I do when there is a pretty hot chick here who seems to be very close to my man, how do I kill her and then his mother?” Daina speaks into the phone, she could hear Grace’s laughter

”I am serious Grace, it’s not funny, there is a chick here whose beauty puts mine to shame and the worst of it all is that his mother seems to like her a lot and imagine, she rejected my gift, I had to even borrow money to get her that wrapper, she ignores it like it is shit, but as soon as the girl gives her a common scarf, scarf oh and one china made bangle she is all over the girl calling her, her daughter but what about me, what about me?”’

”What do you want me to do?” Grace voice comes on

”Tell me how to kick her out! ”

”Tell Emeka!!”

”He said he had a meeting to attend to””

”Plead with his mother”

”She doesn’t like me”‘

”Then stay there and live through it, you are a guest and she is also a guest at the moment”

“‘I am not a guest, I am his future wife” Diana says stiffly

”Until you get the ring”

”I am his wife” Diana states angry, she could hear Grace sigh

”I f you believe that, great and besides there is love in sharing, you want his money, maybe the girl wants the man, you both should work something out together… schedule days you both get to see and be with him separately ” Grace laughs

”Screw you Grace”

”Screw you too, now if you don’t have anything important to tell me, can I go back to feeding my son?”

Diana sighs ”You are useless to me, you lucky I like you””

”You are a pain, and no I don’t like you, bye” the line does, Diana rolls her eyes, so much for a friendly advice from her friend

She dials Emeka’s number again for the tenth time that evening.

Why wasn’t he picking his phone.

*****

Emeka drops his phone again for the tenth time that evening

“Wife?” Belinda voice was slightly chirpy

He shakes his head

”Girlfriend?”

He shakes his head

”boyfriend?”

Now he laughs, ”You have an imaginative mind Mrs Ambross, you don’t look much other… your husband on the other hand looks two generations your senior”

Belinda laughs, Ambross doesn’t find the humor in it ”I am 29 years old” she admits

He was older than her, how did she end up with this old bat.

”How did you end up with a man like him? Don’t tell me it was love?”

She laughs “No, it wasn’t”

Okay, that seems truthful enough, Emeka considers, so what was it? Money! Definitely Money.
Ambross looks at her sharply “Belinda he doesn’t –”‘

“It was a marriage by convenience” She answers

Bingo!!

”What does that mean Belinda?” Ambross asks turning to her

”oh Ambross, you know I wouldn’t lie to you… We married because you took care of me and my family and my parents thought that this was the proper thank you especially when you began to propose to me… but I have been with you for two years now right, I ain’t going anywhere… yet” she adds, Emeka tries not to chuckle, Ambross is shocked..

”What does that even mean Belinda?”‘

”I am here… I care for you… but we both know this wasn’t love” she says

Interesting!! so Ambross, you were hoping to buy love when you got it from your wife freely and your son.

Maybe Karma was working on you already.

“Belinda I don’t think the good sir wants to hear about that, about our marriage affairs, if you don’t mind” Ambross says stiffly, Belinda rolls her eyes, but she smiles to Emeka, choosing to ignore her husband

“So tell us, how does a fine man like yourself not yet married? I mean, a lot of ladies might be throwing themselves at you, you are young and rich.. I mean… it’s just strange to find you not hooked, if I were single, I might even be interested in you” Belinda laughs

Ambross chokes on his food for the second time that evening, Emeka smiles, why does it feel as though she was flirting with him,

”Excuse us”‘ Ambross says pulling his wife with him as they go to the corner, he could hear them arguing

”Are you mad, are you high, is something seriously wrong with you? Why are you flirting with him, what is wrong with you?”

”’Me? I was just being nice, and I wasn’t flirting, if I were I would have told him what a boring man you are and I wish he would whisk me away, after all you should be grateful, he just pulled you out of the gutter””

”You are my wife, you should behave accordingly not like a woman on heat”‘

“‘Ha!!” she laughs “‘Don’t start with me Ambross, the reason why I am your wife is because I pitied you and come to think of it, you are not my type, sex with you too is boring but I manage… and I know you flirt around with other woman, I am not blind, so allow me flirt with who I want to flirt with, it is not even as though you give me what I want in bed, I stayed for your money… but now that you hardly do have it, why don’t I go for the source”

”Really, you stayed for my money?”

”You know you bought me with that, I don’t hide my mouth and you know it..”‘

”But I do have money now”‘

”No you don’t, this house you can’t afford it unless you use the money he has given you to invest in your company to pay for the upkeep, we can be able to do that for a couple of weeks but… you can’t maintain the house. See, you have no money, and we have already put the house on the market for sale unless you go pull it out and pay the loan you owe, and even though Mr Odinaka has helped you with your company, profits won’t start coming till end of the month, how do you plan to keep the house unsold till then? See, no money yet and all the money you might get is as a result of that man in there because he is helping your old ass, and if you annoy me further I will leave… after all there is a dashing young man out there who isn’t hooked and I am still young and fresh, so leave me alone Ambross” she walks away

”Belinda, Belinda come back here” But she ignores him as she sashays away and back to Emeka who acts as though he didn’t hear them shouting behind closed door, Ambross curses under his breath.

“‘I am so sorry about my Husband, so what else can I get you darling?… and you know you can stop by anytime Sir Odinaka, I mean anytime, I will be available to attend to you” she leans into him pouring him a glass of wine, her bosom brushing his arm, Emeka turns and leans away

Satan, not today!.

As Ambross comes back in, she straightens up and takes a seat, Ambross face was a mask of anger, but he adjusts “Sorry about that Sir, so… I hope you are enjoying our meal, just my way of appreciating you”

”It’s not a problem, you can’t keep thanking me, it’s a business transaction, but you are welcome”‘ he smiles, interesting, Ambross has a house he can’t afford to take care of and a wife who wants to leave, what are the odds father..he laughs inwardly while he drink.

”So sir, I would like to talk to you about some major projects we are embarking on”‘

”Oh yes, your manager mentioned something to me about –”

They talk randomly about things that didn’t necessarily interest Emeka who pretended as though he was having a good time, but in reality, he just wanted to get out of there so he isn’t tempted to strangle his father.

*****

Olive yawns, Mercy smiles at her “Oh my dear, we have been talking nonstop and I forgot to arrange where you will sleep”‘

Olive smiles, she likes this woman already, not knowing her yet she was already warming up to a stranger, she was definitely eager to push the other woman away from her son’s life, Olive smiles..

”Oh mama don’t stress yourself, Emeka told me he has lots of guest rooms, I will sleep in one”

”Nonsense, you will go nowhere, come, let me take you to where you will sleep, he says you are his special friend didn’t he?”

”Yes mama, we are special friends”‘

”Ehen, then there is no problem, come” she takes her by the hands and leads her calling out ”Mama Tito, please help with her bag oh”‘

They leave her room, go down the hall and enter into another room more beautiful than hers but more masculine, she turns to her and smiles ”You will be staying here till you go, okay my daughter?”

”Sleep well my daughter, tomorrow I and Mama Tito would make something good for you to eat”‘

Then they leave her alone, she looks around the room, running her hands on the bed, she smiles..

She didn’t think it would be so easy… but with his mother liking her, it would be as easy as taking candy from a baby, she laughs.

She needed to take a shower so she undresses and goes to the toilet.

****

Emeka gets home tired and goes directly upstairs, the house was quiet, Mama Tito had let him in and went to bed.. he gets to his room, takes off his cloths… He needed a bath.

He enters his bathroom, sliding through the glass door and turning to find her there..

*****

Diana wakes up to the sound of someone walking around the house, she must have slept off in the living room waiting for Emeka, and no one thought to wake her up.

Sighing she checks her time to see that it’s almost midnight, she carries herself, pulling her bag and going upstairs.

Was he home, or he wasn’t coming home tonight? But she was tired of waiting, good thing that his mother had gone to sleep… so she wouldn’t stop her from sleeping in Emeka’s room tonight so that means she can seduce him, smiling she heads to his room and holds the door to find it unlocked, maybe he wasn’t home yet, she enters shutting the door and puts her bag in the corner, then she hears the shower on..

Oh, he was back? And she didn’t know.

Well this was perfect, without wasting time she undresses, there was no way he would turn down a beautiful naked woman in his shower, and she had heard that shower sex was equaling mind blowing,

She had been with the boy Emeka, but..she was looking forward to show her skills to the man Emeka, and with that perfect body…Oh, tonight was the night.

She quickly finished undressing, and goes naked into the bathroom..

It was one of those huge bathrooms that felt as though you were walking into a different room, white tiles, a Jacuzzi at the corner, the toilet seat, two separate ones to the wall and a huge walk in shower bath with a see through sliding glass… but it was blurred at the moment with vapour from hot water coming out of the shower, she could see the vapour of warmth as it spread evenly on the glass… like a fogged mist.

Oh this was a magnificent bathroom, she bets they could make love here always, she couldn’t see him through the glass door but she could see shadows… his shadow as he moved… and water crescending hot warmth down his body..

She opens the sliding door and she enters, the hotness like a thick warm fog blinding her eyes, she stretches her hand to touch the shadow she sees, she touches his back… smiling she hugs him spreading her hands over his back .

”Oh Emeka my love, I want you so much right now…” then she spreads her hands to touch his chest, then she freezes..

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Stephanie Egberike is a graduate of the University of Port Harcourt, where she studied Sociology.
She runs an Ushering and Events Agency based in Port Harcourt called " De-vonte".
When she is not busy chasing life and hustling on the bright side of the streets, she is a prolific writer, content developer and a creative story teller.
She writes creative short story series for Www.Madivas.com, on their African stories categories amongst others.
When she isn't writing she is busy enjoying life, loving her family and being a free spirit.
She is a lover , a friend , a child , a bosslady, God’s own. And she likes to call her fingers "ItchyFingers".. A big smiler and an indepth thinker.